Magic of Music
by Crazy Lady Wolf
Summary: Brittany has been secretly in love with Santana for a couple of Christmases. Santana has been unknowingly in love with her for nearly just as long. What'll it take to get these two to open their eyes and see one another? Maybe a little bit of Christmas magic in the form of a special piano.
1. Chapter 1

It was Christmas again, Brittany Susan Pierce's absolute favorite holiday. She grinned as she donned her favorite elf costume, humming happily all the while. Looking into the mirror with a proud smile she could almost hear her father's approval as she picked up her small keyboard and made her way to the local mall.

There was a thin layer of snow on the ground as she walked, but she didn't mind the cold with her hands deep in her pockets and elf hat over her ears. The excited buzz she always got from her yearly elfen adventures helped too. She almost couldn't believe it had been a year since she last played with the visitor's of Lima, Ohio's favorite shopping mall. It was even harder to believe that it had been that long since she'd gotten the chance to make her secret crush, Santana Lopez, smile.

Brittany sighed in happy anticipation when she thought of the raven haired beauty. The two went to the same school but were from two different worlds. Santana was an only child from a wealthy family with a doctor for a father and a lawyer for a mother. She was also the head cheerio at William McKinley High, aka the head of Lima's teenage royalty. Brittany, on the other hand, was from a totally different background. Her mother taught in the middle school that her younger sister went to and her father passed away nearly six years ago when she was only eleven.

All of that didn't stop Brittany's growing feelings though, even when she saw the Latina pour a slushie all over one of her friends. Sure the blonde was upset but she thought about it and found herself forgiving the transgression.

She confided her feelings to her best bud, Sammy Evans, once and knew it was a mistake when he gave her a half hour long lecture about all the stuff the cheerio had done wrong to their group of friends. All she thought about the entire time was the fact that she was never on the receiving end of any of those things. Santana had never, not once, done a single thing to hurt Brittany directly. If anything, as soon as Santana earned title as head cheerio, any form of bullying ever directed toward the blonde went down significantly. '_Coincidence_?' Brittany pondered. '_Maybe not_.'

The smile she wore when she walked into the work room for the day nearly blinded her coworkers but it wasn't a thing anyone would complain about. They all enjoyed working alongside the bubbly young woman and found themselves thrown into their past full of childlike glee when they were with her. She also shared an uncanny resemblance to her late father who, once upon a time, took the roll of Santa Claus and stole the hearts of every person he ever met.

"Your smile grows more and more every year, little bee," Millie Rose, a woman she'd known since she was a toddler, commented with a soft smile of her own.

"Yeah, you look good," Millie's daughter, Marley, agreed.

"Thanks, you guys!" Brittany grinned. Her jubilant mood was infectious and soon enough the room was filled with hummed Christmas songs and laughter. It carried out and spilled into the mall, giving the atmosphere an extra dose of holiday cheer as Santa and his elves took up their positions throughout the two story building. When the doors opened to the public, they were embraced with true holiday sincerity sparked by a blue eyed young woman with love burning in her heart.

"Santana, I don't get why you do this every year every day for an entire week at this ungodly hour," Quinn Fabray , her best friend and second in command, snapped. "Even your dad said you don't have to go in today." She leaned against the doorframe of Santana's room, rubbing at her eyes as she stifled a yawn.

"I need more volunteer hours, Q." Santana didn't even care enough to turn around and face her friend as she fixed her hair. It was 7 in the morning and there was snow on the sidewalk outside but the Latina didn't mind. Truth be told, Christmas season was her favorite time of year, especially the time she spent at the mall with a certain mystery piano player.

"As if," the petite blonde huffed.

The Latina rolled her eyes but offered no reply as she finished re-applying her lipstick.

"You like someone, don't you?" Quinn continued, stepping forward and frowning. "You've been less of a pain and flirting _way _more than usual. Plus, that's your 'take me, I'm yours' shade of red," she said, motioning toward her lips. "Who is it?"

"You know, I wouldn't call it 'take me, I'm yours' I'd say it's more of a 'fuck me now' minus the 'yours'," the brunette smirked.

Quinn grimaced but said no more as she sat down on the head cheerio's bed and scowled, irked by the other teen's choice of words. Sometimes she wondered why she ever put up with the Latina but then she remembered that not only was she popular, but the head bitch also had a hidden soft side. While it was rare, Santana showed just how much she cared for the green eyed blonde in surprisingly sincere ways.

"You do know you can stay here for a few more hours to sleep if you want, right? I mean it's not like the rentals would care. You're pretty much the adopted gringa of the house," the brunette teased.

"Whatever, I'm already up so what's the point? Plus, I'm certain you're into someone and I _am_ going to find out who, mark my words, Lopez."

"Sure thing, Fabray, and while you're at it maybe you can manage to loosen some peoples pockets for better donations. After all, you have that all american baby doll ploy working for you like a young Lindsay Lohan. Let's hope the end results don't end up the same."

"Just hurry up and let's go," Quinn replied with an exaggerated eye roll.

Santana chuckled, following her best friend out of her house and into her car, trying to stifle the growing excitement bubbling in her stomach. It was December twenty third and that meant that she'd be playing on her favorite piano which meant she'd be playing with her secret crush. The brunette bit her lip, doing her best to keep from smiling too much, lest she'd tip Quinn off about how right she actually was.

The only thing was, the piano was controlled by a person in another place in the mall via remote control to make it seem as if the instrument had a life of its own, so Santana had no clue who the musician was. All she knew was that whoever was the one operating the piano from afar saw her for who she was. Well, that and there was a huge chance that she didn't only have a crush on the person, but she might actually be madly in love with the piano player.

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A/N: This story will be short and sweet (most times) and will (hopefully) be completed by the start of the new year. Hope you enjoyed! (:


	2. Chapter 2

"How're you holding up, Mar?" Brittany asked with a smile. The girl in question was back in the break room, bent over at the waist breathing heavily. She looked up with a sheepish grin as she dropped back onto the bench in the middle of the room.

"I kinda forgot how crazy those little guys get when they have to wait for the big guy," she chuckled, shaking her head. Some of her dark hair fell out of the sloppy bun she wore but she made no attempt to fix her disheveled appearance.

"Did you sing again? Because you have to remember that that only keeps them hushed for a little while." Brittany walked in and sat down beside her friend and bumped shoulders with her. "Try dancing with them, they get tired out real easy and tend to be less of a pain."

"Britt, they'd get tired with you because you're a machine. Me? I can't compete."

"Have you tried it?" the blonde persisted. Sure she knew Marley wasn't a pro but that didn't mean she couldn't get a crowd of three to seven year olds to dance along.

"About that…" she trailed off, twirling her loose strands of hair between her fingers. Brittany smirked, nodding as she pat her friend's shoulder. "Don't be so smug with me, Miss Pierce, we can't all be child whispering Juilliard material dancers."

"Me? Smug? I don't know what you're talking about," the blonde deadpanned. Marley searched her face before rolling her eyes and huffing loudly. Even after years of being Brittany's best friend, there were times she didn't understand the way her friend did what she did.

"Y'know, for a class A genius you're such a butthead."

"That didn't even really make sense… did it?"

"Shouldn't you be getting ready? It's almost noon," Markey replied, choosing to ignore the more than likely rhetorical question.

"I was born ready," she beamed, jumping up and rushing toward her locker. "I have a feeling the kids are gonna love it even more this year. We're gonna go for a grinchmas this year with a little bit of Jingle All the Way, a pinch of Home Alone and a dash of Deck the Halls."

"I really hope Santana got which songs you mean from your index card, because I don't think I'd be able to catch on." Marley's comment caused Brittany's smile to grow exponentially as she reached into her locker and retrieved her special keyboard.

"I'd be willing to bet LT's prized collection of cigars that she knows exactly what I mean." She frowned thinking of her cat's smoking habits but shook it off, putting in an ear piece that connected her to a live feed of her magical piano, the piano she controlled for five years and the surrounding people.

Again Marley opted out of a direct comment to what her friend said for a better reaction. "Everyone's gonna love you guys, like always." And it was true, the crowd always loved the show the two put on, even if they didn't know it was Brittany behind the piano.

"I guess but I know it'll be even better this year, you'll see!" Brittany sang. She played a few keys and smirked when she heard a soft giggle coming from the other end of her ear piece. Oh yeah, they were going to rock people's shoes off. For sure.

"Well, you better get the voice modifier and get to your spot in front of the video streamer, we're minutes from the countdown and you know they flip when you join in during the last seconds." Marley quickly stood up and gathered her special elf hat and pointy shoes. With a quick wave goodbye she hurried out and took her own position near the piano.

"Right, come on, Alicia, we have a show to put on and a girl to woo!" the blonde grinned, skipping her way towards her playing station.

Quinn watched her best friend from a distance with a small frown on her lips. Santana had been there for nearly 5 hours straight but that didn't seem to faze the Latina in the least, unlike the blonde. In fact, if Quinn didn't know the brunette any better, she'd think that the head cheerleader looked as if she were growing excited more and more with each passing minute, _very_ unlike the blonde.

When they arrived, they went straight toward the build-a-bear place and set up the little shop they were going to be in charge of until noon, when the piano show would take place. The duo got on well enough for most of the time with only a few issues with some particularly snobbish kids. Quinn, who tended to be the more patient of the two, was at her wits end and couldn't wait until their shift was over. Santana on the other hand, got gentler and sweeter as the time went by. She sang with the kids as she helped them assemble their stuffed animal and danced to each station. It was exhausting just watching her but the kids loved it and so did the parents.

When their supervisor went to tell them it was almost time for the show, Santana nearly ran over a toddler in her haste to get to the piano. To say Quinn was curious was an understatement; she was dying to find out what- or rather _who_- was making her best friend act so crazy. Who was capable of taming the wild Lopez?

"Come one, come all and watch as our special elf volunteer, Santana Lopez, plays with our magical piano once again! The spirit of Santa's purple piano loves everyone but there is a special bond between our lovely singer and this beautiful instrument. In fact, for those of you that don't already know, she was specifically chosen by the magical player five years ago. Now, gather around and join in for the countdown!" Millie Rose announced. The jubilant woman clapped and walked away, leaving the crowd to focus on the Latina seated on the piano bench.

Quinn paid extra attention as her friend straightened her back and smiled blindingly at everyone. Their gazes met as the crowd grew with enthusiasm, clapping and cheering. The noise only died down when the brunette lifted her finger to her lips and she began to hum softly.

"It's almost 11:59 and as soon as it is, I want you to sing the countdown with me, okay?" she asked. All the children nodded excitedly and, after a bit of insistence, had their parents agreeing as well.

The silent area was awarded with a few keys of the piano player, prompting applause and soft cheers. Even with the dialed down noise, Quinn almost, would have missed the small giggle that came from her friend if she hadn't been staring. '_Mystery man is near_!' the blonde thought as she ran her gaze around her, searching for who it could be.

"It's time!" someone yelled gleefully.

Santana nodded and opened her mouth, singing a clear and mesmerizing, "it's almost Christmas time." For a moment the onlookers were too wrapped up in the teen's voice to join in but when she got to 30, there was a cacophony of voices blending with hers.

Quinn watched the event, temporarily forgetting to search for Santana's Romeo to take in what was going on. In all the years the Latina had been involved with the piano show, Quinn never had a chance to watch because of the church activities her family was always taking part in. It was nice to finally see what all the hype was about after so long.

When they were down to the last ten seconds an ominous voice joined in, booming out through the speakers. It wasn't harsh, despite the volume and if Quinn were ever asked to describe it, she'd definitely use the word gentle but couldn't decide if it belonged to a man or woman.

"Three... two... one!"

Santana jumped up, pulling out a mic no one had noticed and crept slowly to the center of the semicircle that formed around the piano. Each step she took was in perfect sync with the familiar notes of 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch'. She kept the rhythm and continued walking around, grinning at the children who gazed back and forth from the keys of the piano to the dark haired, special elf.

"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch," she began.

"No, I'm not," the gentle giant voice rumbled softly over the speakers, making some people chuckle. Santana continued, dancing and singing in perfect sync with the piano, smiling more than anyone had ever seen in the halls of William McKinley.

Some of the older generation in the crowd drew together the songs chosen and related them to the movies they might have spent their childhood Christmases watching. It was a great show to watch, especially the times where Santana would ask for suggestions from the "purple piano player" and be answered by a mashed up version of three different Christmas songs. The Latina would look completely flustered which made everyone laugh, so the song would settle on one and Santana would start again. At times the children would decide what song would play and others the teens and adults would which gave Santana a small break.

After about an hour, a lullaby began to play and the soft voice of the mysterious musician began to whisper goodbyes and good nights, mentioning the time it was in the North Pole.

"Sleep well, friends. The elves and I shall be drinking nog and singing along while making your gifts. Santana and these mall elves helped here in your town to give the little guys a break back home and I should get back... it's almost passed my bedtime," the voice gasped. "I really have to go, but I hope you all had fun! Don't forget to say thank you to all the elves and your families for bringing you here! I'll see you all tomorrow!"

There were a flutter of keys played and a gust of wind that twirled around the piano, shocking everyone, including the head cheerio whose hair was lifted and tousled. Apparently whoever set it up hadn't notified a single person of the grand finale for the day but the crowd ate it up.

After a final goodbye, Santana simply smiled, shook her head and waved at the direction the hidden camera was placed.

Brittany, still sat on the bench in her 'secret lair', waved back, gazing at the screen in front of her which showed Santana's smiling face. The blonde's heart swelled knowing she made the beautiful Latina smile as brightly as she did. It was a huge improvement to time she witnessed the same strong willed and lovely girl crying on the piano bench so many years ago. Brittany tried not to think of the incident as often as she did but she couldn't shake the memories away that always seemed to creep up on her, especially during Christmas time. It was because of that moment that the blonde fell for Santana so readily; she saw the brunette for who she really was.

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A/N: So, this chapter was pretty much just fluff to set up the next chapter which will mainly be a flashback. I was going to upload this yesterday but I got too wrapped up in family stuff. I hope everyone that celebrates had an amazing Christmas and for those that don't, I hope ya had an awesome Wednesday. Until the next time, I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

"Brittany? Sweetie, please calm down," Stephanie Pierce, Brittany's mother, urged gently. Her eldest daughter was curled up in bed with a steady stream of tears running down her face. It had been nearly a year since her father passed on and Christmas was only a day away.

"He's not here," the young Brittany whimpered, shaking her head. Her heart pounded inside of her body as she trembled beneath her covers. There was an ache deep in her heart that wouldn't go away, even after months since what happened happened.

"I know, honey, I know," mother Pierce said with a crack in her voice. She felt the same pain her little Brittany did and had no way of knowing how to ease it away.

Isaac Pierce was a man full of love, joy and youthful glee. He had bright, expressive blue eyes, which only his oldest daughter inherited, and a hearty laugh that was incredibly infectious. Brittany and her father were a playful and mischievous pair that spent their days talking and laughing about nonsensical things. They enjoyed every holiday but Christmas was the star of their year. They would countdown the days then the hours and minutes, growing more excited with every passing second. Every Christmas season they'd try something new and festive, which was how Brittany got into dancing; her father enrolled her in ballet for The Nutcracker. He even volunteered to play the piano for free when their pianist quit days before the show.

On the days leading to the holiday, the two would spend the entire day at the mall, working as Santa and elf alongside others. It was Isaac that started the tradition of playing the strange purple piano in the center of the building when Brittany was six because she thought everyone should see how fun music could be.

The day before he died in the accident Brittany had barely finished with a project she started in secret, all in hopes of being more involved with the show. She was planning on a big revealing that friday when they had their family movie night but never got the chance.

It was really cold but the snow wasn't so bad. Isaac and Brittany were singing along to top forty music on their way home from ice skating. Laughter filled their car as they drove, so when the truck slammed into the side of their small vehicle, they were more than blindsided.

Brittany didn't remember much else from that day or the days after that except for the funeral because it was the absolute worst time in her entire life. She was completely inconsolable, crying almost nonstop for hours before, during and after the event. Her uncle Morris had to pry her away from the casket as it was being lowered lest she'd be buried with her father. Her younger sister was terrified of Brittany because she'd never seen her older sister so… _broken_. Their mother felt a similar fear nestled beside the soul shattering sorrow she was going through.

"I wanted to play the piano with him," Brittany sobbed. Her mother felt tears of her own well in her eyes as she joined the blonde on the bed, taking the trembling girl in her arms. "I- I had a surprise for him, bu-but now I-I can't."

"Shh, baby, it'll be okay." Her mom began to run her fingers through the girl's blonde locks, something that used to immediately put an end to tears. "We don't have to go to the mall today, okay?"

"Yes we do!" Brittany exclaimed, jolting out of her mother's embrace. "D-daddy always took me for the piano." Her teeth still chattered and she had hiccups but her tears had finally stopped. "And may- maybe... he can see his surprise… from heaven."

It was with that new thought firmly in her mind that Brittany was able to get out of her pajamas and get dressed. Why hadn't she remembered what her daddy told her about her Grandpa? How could she ever forget?

_'He's an angel now, Bumble B, and he's watching us when we're happy and we need him. Don't be sad, he's in heaven and in here,_' he had told her, pointing to her heart. '_And you can bet your bed that he's doing his best to help us make our dreams come true_.'

"What was the surprise?" the older woman asked. She hadn't known a single thing to say for months and there her daughter was, determined and without tears in her eyes because of something she thought of herself. Her Brittany was barely twelve and had already started learning how to put herself back together on her own. Somehow, that knowledge warmed and broke Stephanie but she never let it show. How could she when there was more life in her little girl's baby blues than there had been in so long?

"It's not fair if I tell you before daddy," the preteen replied. Before saying anything else, the girl glanced at her closet and the clock on her bed stand. "Daddy always did the show at noon, can we go now?"

"Okay?" Her mother hesitated before nodding and getting up from the bed. "I'll let Lily know and we'll be out of here in fifteen, sound good?"

The only response she got was worth more than every word known to man; it was a small, watery smile.

The short trip to the mall wasn't like the years before for more reasons than one; the main difference being the vacant passenger's seat in the front. Everyone in the car felt his absence but something had changed since the day they lost him. There wasn't such a thick feeling of loss or fear and for once, the radio was playing again.

The parking lot was almost at its maximum capacity when they arrived but luck was on their side as they found a spot near the food court entrance, near the piano. Brittany smiled a little, silently believing it was her daddy supporting her all the way from heaven. She still didn't understand how she could forget something as important as him still being alive in heaven.

She clutched her daddy's old hiking bag close to her chest as she got out of the vehicle, gnawing on her bottom lip as she waited for her sister and mom to exit as well. She was nervous but excited for the first time in what felt like forever.

Taking a deep breath, she took shaky but determined steps toward the entrance, setting her jaw as she walked through the slide open doors. She was immediately greeted by Christmas decorations and soft holiday music, stirring up a lifetime of memories.

"You're actually gonna do it?" Lily asked softly. The youngest Pierce was the only person Brittany ever told about her project as a whole; other people were suspicious but didn't know exactly what she'd been up to. Little Lily was the only person who understood the true extent of Brittany's genius while other simply wrote her off as simple and queer.

"Yup," the older blonde replied, popping the 'p' for emphasis. She wiped her palms on her jeans, trying to shake out her nerves as she continued walking forward. Her heart was pounding in her chest again the closer she drew to the 'dressing room' she and her father used to get ready in. She felt more jittery than her debut in The Nutcracker.

"Do you… need any help?" Lily hesitantly stepped beside her sister, looking up at her with soft brown eyes that resembled her mother's.

"Sure, kiddo, sure." Another smile, slightly bigger this time.

Their mother didn't say anything when they demanded she sit and wait for them near the piano. She was too stunned by the normalcy she felt watching the girls interact with each other again. Warmth flooded her heart and tears welled in her eyes as she waved goodbye to the pair and sat down on one of the many couches situated around her late husband's favorite instrument.

"I've had everything here set up since last Christmas; Marley's mom helped me with that. The only problem I had was with the wiring of my remote keys but well… you know, I fixed that." Brittany cleared her throat, shifting her weight from foot to foot before ploughing on again. "All that's left to do is hook up the receiver and put on a show."

"You know… people might freak out," the youngest Pierce giggled. "It'll be like… like…"

"Like daddy's spirit came to visit and play again," Brittany offered softly. Her sister nodded with a sad smile on her face, recalling all the Christmases she spent watching her sister and dad helping Santa at the mall.

"Let's do this," Lily said. With a nod, they got to work, attaching certain wires and setting up a small table to hold everything up. They finished with only minutes to spare before noon.

Brittany sighed in relief when she saw the image of the piano clearly in the small screen she had with a live video feed and heard the steady stream of noise coming from there as well.

"Lil, maybe we can do a duet? Y'know, instead of just having a Christmas spirit do it?"

"All I can play is Chopsticks," the youngest Pierce deadpanned. "You're the virtuoso."

"I knew you loved that Word of the Day calendar!" Brittany grinned broadly, bobbing her head to a beat only she could hear. "Anyway, c'mon, music is in the heart! Daddy taught us that, so you can do it!"

"Fine, but if I see my friends and they laugh…" she trailed off, shaking her head.

"Think of how happy daddy'll be! And Santa! We'll be on the good list for sure!"

Lily bit her lip, faking a smile as she nodded. Did her older sister really still believe in Santa? With a shrug, she exited the room and made her way back to the piano, running everything she knew about the instrument over and over in her head.

"Papi, please? I think I caught something from one of the little brats; can we go home now?" Santana pleaded with her father, walking briskly by his side. He simply looked down at her with his dark eyes simmering with anger.

"You are here on behalf of the hospital. You volunteered and you will _not_ go back on your word. As a Lopez, we _never_ break our promises." His voice was stern and his expression pinched. He'd been in a foul mood for days and it seemed as if the presence of his daughter only worsened his state of mind.

"Yes sir," the Latina whispered. She dejectedly slumped her shoulders, biting her lip to keep from saying what her alter ego yearned to scream out. Snixx was indignant and demanded better treatment but Santana knew she couldn't say a thing.

"Good. If you like… you can take a small break but I expect you back in half an hour with a smile on your face, understood?"

"Understood," she nodded. She immediately left his side to sit down on the closest bench which just happened to be seated in front of the strange piano.

She'd seen it before and had always been interested it because of her secret love for playing. As a young girl, her parents believed she needed to be well rounded so she was enrolled in etiquette classes, piano lessons and ballet.

Glancing around, she smiled when she saw that no one her age was around and ran her fingers over the keys. She closed her eyes, continuing to move her hands, playing one of her favorite Christmas pieces. The music flowed from her body, pouring out in a soothing melody that attracted the attention of the mall's patrons.

"Whoa," Brittany breathed. She was sat, staring at her screen waiting for her sister when she spotted the Latina instead.

She recognized her as a classmate in one of her classes, art she believed. She also recognized her from the ballet classes that they had taken together years ago. Santana Lopez, the girl with smooth, caramel skin with a beautiful smile and mysterious, dark eyes.

Brittany watched as the brunette continued to play, her eyes raking over the other girl's face and hands. _Santana plays magnificently_! the blonde thought giddily. After only another moment, she joined her in playing, startling most of the audience watching as well Santana herself.

Even with the mild surprise, Santana didn't let it affect the music. She even had to admit, it was a completion to the piece and whoever or whatever was complimenting her solo did it perfectly. They continued to play in perfect sync, somehow knowing exactly what was next on the venue.

When they finished, there was a considerable crowd gathered around the piano, clapping and offering money. Santana paid them no mind, instantly checking her phone and rushing off when she realized how late she was to her post.

'_Shit, shit, shit_,' the Latina thought, scolding herself as she imagined the look on her father's face when she'd show up.

As expected, Dr. Lopez was anything but happy as he stood with a tight lipped smile, collecting donation money. He looked up momentarily, his eyes flashing with barely restrained fury as he accepted another donation check. Santana gulped before plastering on her own grin and turning to help him.

Hours of strained silence passed between father and daughter until the mall finally closed down. Dr. Lopez didn't say a word as they began to put away everything that belonged to the hospital. That left Santana in charge of storing away all the chairs and supplies they had borrowed from the mall. With only a minimal amount of struggling, she managed to lug them back to the supply room. By then, the lights had dimmed down and it had gone quiet except for the scuffle of feet and soft gossip of the employees.

Instead of instantly going to her father, she went back to the piano and sat down. What she found was another surprise in the form of a small note card on the keys that was specifically addressed to her.

'_Santana, you play amazingly! You're such a unicorn! Beautiful, special and… magical. It was fun playing with you, really. And hey, everyone thought it was awesome too! :) You left really fast and didn't look the same, like a mask? Don't be sad, okay? And don't stop playing, it was too pretty, like your smile.'  
_The rest of the card consisted of a small sketch of a unicorn, flowers and the sun.

"What the...?" She glanced around, feeling her cheeks warmer than usual with a small smile on her face.

"Santana Lopez?" Brittany called out softly. A part of her understood the flicker of fear she saw in the Latina's eyes as she swiftly stuffed the note card in her pocket, so the blonde decided to not mention she was the one playing the duet with her.

"Who wants to know?" she replied with a bit of venom.

"I'm Brittany." The lanky blonde approached slowly, worrying her lip between her teeth, unsure how to proceed.

"I have you in my class," the Latina responded.

"Yeah… you, uh, I… today was cool."

"Excuse me?" Santana's glare made Brittany nervous but for reasons she couldn't really name.

"I heard you and it was cool… my d-dad, he used to play it every year." Her voice cracked and she couldn't face the brunette as she placed her hand on the piano. "He was going to play this year but…"

Santana remembered hearing about an accident a while back; it was all the stupid place would talk about for a while. School was abuzz with gossip about the man's daughter who survived and was nearly unscathed.

"I didn't mean- I… I'm sorry." The brunette blushed as she struggled with words. She knew Brittany because of her classes throughout their school career and ballet. She knew the girl was wide eyed and super naive. Rumor had it she still believed in Santa Claus for goodness sake.

"It's okay. He's in heaven… or in my heart?" Suddenly it was hard to remember when she felt a heavy gaze on her.

"He's in both," Santana blurted, blushing again. _Thank God for the dark skin_.

"Oh yeah, that's right!" A smile, brighter than any other in so long, graced Brittany's lips when she raised her eyes.

"Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Really?" Brittany squealed, feeling warmth flood through her body. _Daddy would love to hear us again_! "WIll you play? Please?"

"I guess…" The brunette hesitated, thinking about what her friends would say.

"Please?"

"Okay, yeah, I promise."

"Santana!" Dr. Lopez's voice sliced through the space surrounding the two girls.

"Coming!" Santana shouted back, looking apologetically at her classmate.

"It's okay, really."

"Thanks, I… thanks. See you around," the Latina said, waving before jogging to where her dad's voice came from.

Brittany watched her until she wasn't in sight before taking out her phone, dialing her mom's familiar number. "Mom, thanks, today was worth it. Can we come again tomorrow?"

"What took you so long?" Santana's father snapped when they were in their car.

"Everything was heavy."

"I spoke with your mother, you may stay home to cook tomorrow." Santana tried not to notice how much angrier he looked when he spoke about her mom.

"If it's okay… I think I'll come back tomorrow."

"Very well."

"Like you said, Lopez's keep their word."

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A/N:This chapter was difficult for various reasons and it took some time because of all my holiday activities. I know I won't be done with this by the rest of the night but I'll be done soon. So, I hope you enjoyed and have an awesome New Year's eve and New Year's day!


	4. Chapter 4

Brittany sighed happily when the mall's lights dimmed, signaling her to begin making her way to meet Santana. Since that first day the Latina played the piano, it became a tradition to meet one another on the nights surrounding Christmas day.

Each time they met the blonde felt tempted to tell her newfound friend about the piano but didn't because it was obvious Santana was still not ready. Each year Brittany would ask Santa the same thing; that the Latina would be ready to accept that something that was nestled deep within herself. Maybe Brittany couldn't place a precise name to what exactly _it_ was, but she saw _it_ and knew it was something worth loving.

_'Love_,' she thought with flushed cheeks. It was a word her mind danced around whenever she thought of the fiery brunette. Shaking her head, she picked up her backpack and walked through the near quiet halls of the mall, her elf shoes jingling with each step.

"Hey Britt-Britt," Santana greeted, a small but genuine smile on her lips. Just like every previous year, the Latina tried to subtly put away the special note card she found addressed specifically to her.

Brittany grinned and waved in response, skipping to the brunette's side. She dropped down gracefully to sit on the other side of the bench, leaning into her friend's side. Again, another yearly occurrence, Santana stiffened momentarily before relaxing and wrapping her arm around the lanky teen. The caramel skinned beauty learned rather quickly how touchy feely Brittany tended to be.

"How were the demon spawns today?" Santana asked with a chuckle. Another thing she learned early on was Brittany's patience and absolute adoration towards children.

"The _kids_ were pretty good this year. Some of them couldn't stop talking about their time at the Build-a-Bear workshop with, and I quote 'the pretty elf girl'." Santana's laugh surrounded her, causing a bright smile to take residence on her face as she continued. "Even parents were talking about the pretty elf girl's voice. I wondered who it was. I mean, a pretty girl with a pretty voice? That's a very rare combination, don't you think so? Definitely someone worth swooning over, am I right?"

It was as the final words left her mouth that she realized Santana's laughter had died down and arm was pulled away. _It_ was messing with the cheerio's mind yet again.

"San?" she implored gently, nudging the other girl with her shoulder. She felt the brunette shift so that her entire body was facing her. Brittany followed suit and was surprised to see the Latina's unyielding gaze.

"Why are you friends with the glee losers?" The question tumbled from Santana's lips awkwardly and she scrambled to rephrase it but Brittany rose her hand, halting the brunette's fumbled fix.

"Why'd you ask that?" She wasn't mad, like Santana originally thought, and she wasn't upset, well not too much, she was more… surprised. And maybe a little confused.

_'Here goes nothing_,' Santana thought with a sigh.  
"You're so pretty," she blurted, slapping her hand over her mouth. '_Okay, what the fuck; not what I was going for_.' Her cheeks burned as she stared at the fair skinned girl in front of her, gauging her reaction. Her heart fluttered when she saw a delicate blush flood the blonde's cheeks.

"So?"

With renewed courage, Santana took a deep breath and continued. "You're pretty and you dance like a pro. I've seen how strong you are in art, lifting up some of that crap without a struggle. And you're a genius."

Brittany continued to blush as she heard the sincerity behind Santana's words. Her heart beat strangely in her chest as she fiddled with her fingers in her lap. '_Wasn't I supposed to be mad or something_?'

"And- and- and you could be so popular, a head cheerio!"

Just like that the warm fuzzies taking residence in the blonde's heart disappeared. '_Right, she called my friends losers_.'

"I _am_ popular. I'm popular with my friends which is what matters most." She tried, tried really, _really_ hard to keep the bite from her words but frowned when she saw the head cheerio flinch. "I didn't mean it like-"

"It's okay," Santana interrupted. Her voice was softer and more vulnerable than Brittany had ever heard before. "I know what you meant and I know what you _should_ have meant… I'm a bitch; I _know_."

Brittany's eyes widened in surprise as she watched tears roll down the Latina's tan cheeks. Without a second thought, she wrapped her pale arms around the crying girl, pulling her into a close embrace. Instead of the usual response to such a motion, Santana melted in Brittany's hug and sobbed.

_'It broke_.'

"It's okay, Santana, don't worry, I've got you," Brittany murmured into her hair. She alternated from rubbing small circles on the girl's back to running her fingers through her dark locks, trying to emulate the same comfort her mother did for her.

After a few long minutes, Santana regained some control and pulled away, wiping at her ruined makeup and tear stained cheeks. She couldn't face the piercing blue gaze that was focused on her as she took deep breaths.

"There's… there might be something wrong with me," the Latina whispered, keeping her eyes downcast. Her heart began to hammer wildly in her chest as she tried to continue but felt tears threatening to spill again.

Brittany's own heart went crazy as her mind filled with different types of illnesses Santana could have possibly contracted. '_What if it's something terminal_? _There are thousands of terminal illnesses_!' Brittany shuddered at the thought and began to tear up. Her hand instinctively shot forward and pressed against the Latina's forehead.

"Britt!" Santana squeaked. The contact was so sudden and unexplained that she would have fallen off the bench if not for the blonde's quick reflexes. As a result, Santana was once again held in Brittany's embrace, this time pressed flush against her lithe body.

"What's wrong with you?" the blonde whispered. "You don't have a fever… it's not bad, is it?" Her bottom lip trembled as she waited for a response. '_I can't lose San too_...'

"You- I- wait…" She searched Brittany's face for any signs of insincerity but only found unabashed honesty and fear reflected in her striking baby blues. "Britt, I-" she broke off and giggled softly, shaking her head.

"Why are you laughing at me?" Brittany demanded, pulling away from Santana once she was sure she wouldn't fall off. The brunette immediately missed the contact and hated herself for feeling that way.

"I'm not laughing _at_ you. It's just… I'm not _that _kind of sick." She felt more in control of what she wanted to say but still dreaded the words that rattled around in her head. '_Brittany's different… she's innocent and funny and sweet and understanding and beautiful… Britt's just Brittany_...'

"San?" Again the blonde gently prodded her friend to continue, not following the turn of events.

"Brittany," she began with a sigh. '_Santana Lopez doesn't get scared, damn it_!' "I think… I might-" she cleared her throat and stood up, wiping her sweaty palms on the jeans she'd changed into before the friends' rendezvous.  
She avoided eye contact as she began to pace, unable to keep still. "I think I might like girls."

"So? I like girls too."

Santana's eyes bugged out of their sockets as she began to choke on nothing but her own saliva and air. '_She's gay_?!' Then she remembered how blissfully innocent the blonde was and talked down her suddenly over active imagination. Clearing her throat, she turned her back to Brittany and closed her eyes for a bit.

"No, Britt, I mean like, I might like girls the way I'm _supposed_ to _like_ like boys." The words were difficult to get out since not only did was she admitting it to Brittany but it was also the first time the Latina ever acknowledged her feelings out loud. Her heart weighed heavily in her chest as seconds ticked by without a single sound to pass between the two.

Unbeknownst to her, Brittany was mentally face palming herself for not correctly naming Santana's unicorn status. Of _course_ she was a unicorn! Santana was so gentle and sweet and caring but afraid to show herself; how couldn't Brittany have known what _it_ was? She was a frightened unicorn in the middle of a town full of normal, and at times mean, donkeys.

"Santana you're a-"

"Wait! I mean, I might not be… _you know_. I mean, I might actually like a guy."

Brittany frowned a little, trying to think of what guy the cheerio might have been talking about. She couldn't think of anyone from their school other than Puck or Finn but that was only because they were always around her. Either way, there was little to no chance of that being a possibility because Quinn was with Puck and Finn… well, Finn just didn't seem compatible.

"Who?" She worried her thin pink lips between her teeth, suddenly anxious for the girl's reply. There was a strange tight feeling in her chest which took her a while to identify as jealousy. Brittany Pierce was undoubtedly and painfully jealous.

"I don't know his name, but whoever he is makes me feel like everything's alright and nothing can go wrong. He knows me in a way that no one else really does."

A small smile managed its way onto Santana's lips as she thought of all the notecards she'd gotten from her mysterious piano player. The smile only grew as she continued to remember the different and beautiful duets they'd managed to share. It _had _to be a guy… right?

"Does he go to our school? When did you meet? How old is he? Do I know him? How does he know you… better than me?" The questions rolled off Brittany's tongue and grew quieter and quieter until the last one couldn't be heard.

"Well, he told me he goes to our school and I've never actually met him but I'm pretty sure he's around our age. Maybe you know him; he says he likes to dance and has even taken some classes. He got to know me through the piano thing I do, the same way you did." Santana spoke softly and shyly, slowly turning to look at her friend once more. It hurt seeing the blonde frown so deeply and look so troubled. What if Santana had been wrong? What if Brittany was just like every other close minded person in Lima and wouldn't accept her after all?

"I have to go," Brittany clipped out. Her insides were in turmoil, bursting with different and _unfamiliar_ feelings of hurt and anger.

She jumped to her feet and rushed toward the nearest exit, ignoring Santana's soft pleas to stop.

It was just too much, and so strange. She couldn't ever recall feeling the way she did when she heard Santana talk about her mystery guy. The added fact that the guy discovered her inner beauty during one of _their_ duets killed Brittany because that pretty much meant that she drove the Latina into the stranger's arms.

Santana slumped down onto the bench, cries choking her as she buried her face in her hands. She did it; she ruined everything she'd built with the only friend she ever felt truly comfortable around. Self hatred flooded her veins and bile filled her mouth as her body shook from the heart wrenching sobs that rocked her to her core. Her freakishness and stupid feelings pushed Brittany away, she was sure of it.

Alas, the sad irony was lost on the girls but somewhere far away, an angel smiled because he knew true love was bound to find its way.

* * *

A/N: So, shorter chapter and it's been a while since the last update but school, work, family and friends have been a distraction; a good one but still a distraction. Anyway, thanks for reading! The last part was super cheesy but it's specifically dedicated to a certain lady friend who will always have her angel.

Uh, yeah, so, thanks again! It's close to an end, so be expecting maybe three more chapters? Maybe more, maybe less; still unsure.

Anyhow, hope your days, nights and everything in between are awesome sauce (:


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